Information about protecting yourself from identity theft.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft, or identity fraud, is when one person assumes another person’s identity by obtaining personal information for deceptive use or criminal activity.

Many times, identity theft is done to gain access to finances or frame another person for a crime. It can also be to enable terrorism, espionage, illegal immigration or changing identity completely. However, assuming someone’s identity with the approval of that person for reasons such as cheating on an exam is not considered identity theft.

Identity theft is, in short, a crime against another person. Your personal information, such as your Social Security Number, your bank account and credit card numbers and other identifying data are not unique to you as your fingerprints are. Obtaining this information may be a little easier than you think, and there are plenty of uses for your personal information if it falls into the wrong hands.

Unauthorized people, who are posing as you can run up vast debts in your name, can take funds out of your bank accounts and commit crimes while using your name. The ramifications for people whose identities have been stolen are not only out-of-pocket financial loss, but also the associated financial aspect of trying to reclaim your credit and reputation and correcting all your information that has been altered.

Your personal information can be retrieved in a variety of ways other than actual theft. Some criminals engage in shoulder surfing, watching from a near-by location while you punch your credit card number into your telephone or verbally recite it over the phone. The area near your home and office may also not be secure enough, and criminals can go dumpster diving in your trash bin to get copies of checks, credit card and bank statements, and other forms and paperwork that contain your name, address and phone number. This is the basic information that a criminal needs to assume your identity.

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